2026 NFL Season Preview

Denver broke Kansas City’s nine-year hold on the AFC West with fourteen wins, but Mahomes and the Chiefs will be desperate to win it back.

Division Winner

Kansas City

AFC West Winner

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$2.70

We tipped the Broncos to win the AFC West last year at big odds but retaining the crown may well be harder than winning it.

Six wins and eleven losses does not describe what happened to Kansas City last season. They outscored their opponents across the year and went 1-9 in one-score games, two years after going 11-0 in them.

Patrick Mahomes is expected back for Week 1 after a torn ACL, and even a Mahomes short of his best is better than most of the league. The defence held up through all of it and remains a top unit, and Kenneth Walker III arrives from Seattle off a Super Bowl MVP to fix a running game that, while performing reasonably well in efficiency metrics, generated next to no explosive plays.

Denver at $3.25 have the better roster and PFF’s top-graded offensive line, all five starters returning after conceding four sacks all season. But fourteen wins included eleven by one possession, a total that tied an NFL record, and a first-place schedule now comes with it.

Los Angeles at $2.90 get Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater back, arguably the best tackle pair in football (when healthy), after Justin Herbert was hit a league-high 129 times last year. Both, however, have battled significant injury issues and the interior of the line projects more as a series of turnstiles. It will be fascinating to watch ex-Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel helm the offence after a disastrous end to his tenure in Miami, but I want to see it before I back it.

Las Vegas spent heavily in free agency and drafted Fernando Mendoza number one overall, but this projects as a development year with Kirk Cousins set to start early.

The Chiefs are the play in this one.

Season Wins Over/Under

Denver Under 10.5

Season Wins

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$1.77

As the saying goes – regression is a bugger. Denver have the fourth-best roster in football and the offensive line PFF graded first in the league, with all five starters back after allowing four sacks and 108 pressures across the season. The defence is excellent. But fourteen wins came with eleven one-possession victories, a total that tied an NFL record, and a first-place schedule now applies.

Player Prop

Kenneth Walker III

Most Regular Season Rushing Yards

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$23

Kansas City had no running game last season and have gone out and signed the reigning Super Bowl MVP to fix it. Walker is a specialist at generating explosive runs and should get a nice volume of carries in this offence with head coach Andy Reid looking to take some pressure off Patrick Mahomes.

Editor in Chief

Frankie McDonald

Frankie has spent more than two decades working in the Australian wagering industry and is widely regarded for his expertise in AFL, NRL and horse racing tips.